Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Widely acknowledged as one of the very best of his 20 or so post- Fairport Convention albums, Rumor & Sigh is a challenging--and sometimes rambling--affair, with Thompson juxtaposing rock against folk as well as going off on blues and polka excursions. The settings, too, reflect the urban and the rural, and the subject matter ranges from homicidal tendencies in the rocking classic of "I Feel So Good", through the jokey tribute to the old Scottish bandleader in "Don't Sit On My Jimmy Shand" and to love lost in the extremely moving "I Misunderstood". --Tim Perry
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Richard Thompson has always been one of England's finest yet most underrated performers. Perhaps it is because alongside the blistering guitar work outs and melancholy acoustic ballads that built his reputation he also has eccentric ditties and shanties. Of course, this is due to his folk heritage and is welcome, but maybe not by newcomers to his back catalogue who are unused to hearing such an ecelectic range of styles on one record. Rumor and Sigh is no exception. Read About Love and Feel So Good are typical guitar rockers that sweep you off your feet but Psycho Street and Jimmy Shands will have you scratching your head in confusion if you were unaware of Thompson's penchant for parody and his scathing lyrical wit. However, there is enough of the great stuff to go round here, and I Misunderstood and Keep Your Distance are still live favourites, while Vincent Black Lightning is simply one of the most astonishing songs ever put to record and something all acoustic guitar lovers must here (or better still, see live). All in all, I don't think this is Thompson's best album, but it has many of his best moments. And because of that, it's pretty much essential.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I find it odd that people spend time slagging tracks like Psycho Street which is just another facet of the multi-talented genius that is Richard Thompson. Does humour belong in music? Why not?
The fact remains that this is an excellent album all round and even if you leave aside the frivolous titles (e.g. Shands and PS) still contains enough stand-out material to shame most songwriters. It's not only his great melodies, clever lyrics and brilliant guitar playing that place RT a cut above most musicians but also his sheer versatility of styles as amply demonstrated on this album through classics such as Vincent Black Lightning, I Misunderstood, Keep Your Distance and many of the other cuts.
If you're not familiar with RT's output this is a good place to start. Also try 2002's The Old Kit Bag - another (faultless) classic. And if you get a chance to see him live, jump at it.
The fact remains that this is an excellent album all round and even if you leave aside the frivolous titles (e.g. Shands and PS) still contains enough stand-out material to shame most songwriters. It's not only his great melodies, clever lyrics and brilliant guitar playing that place RT a cut above most musicians but also his sheer versatility of styles as amply demonstrated on this album through classics such as Vincent Black Lightning, I Misunderstood, Keep Your Distance and many of the other cuts.
If you're not familiar with RT's output this is a good place to start. Also try 2002's The Old Kit Bag - another (faultless) classic. And if you get a chance to see him live, jump at it.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I agree with man of the comments of Adam Norsworthy, but would still give it 5 stars for the brilliance of some of the tracks. Richard Thompson has lways has a slightly annoying habit of putting a couple of very forettable tracks on his albums and this is no exception. However, listen to some of the guitar work on the best tracks and realise why many think he is the best guitarist to come out of the UK. His work has real feel to it and it's original.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
I feel so good I brought this Album
Thompson at his absolute best! From "Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands" to "1952 Vincent" to "God Loves a Drunk". There isn't a weak track on the whole record. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Jimi jac
A Late Starter.
This was the first RT album i ever bought, walking past Tower Records in central London i saw a big display in the window. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mitch
Probably Richard Thompson's best
I lent this CD to friends twice and in both cases never got it back. So I bought it for the third time after some 6 years. I found out why I never got them back. Read more
Published 19 months ago by F. Andries
A Lovely Surprise :)
I bought this for the track 'Vincent Black Lightening 1952' which is so lovely. But, with a couple of surprise arrangements, the rest of the album is jolly and smiley and well... Read more
Published on 28 July 2009 by Leigh Mallory
One of Richards best
Richard is in top form here. He is one of Englands greatest songwriters. In my humble opinion, "God loves a drunk" is his finest song. Read more
Published on 30 April 2009 by Stephen Alan Brown
Addictive
This album was the first RT studio album I bought. At first I was encouraged, whilst 'Read about Love' clattered off to start the experience in my ear phones, that his band were... Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2005 by Dave Griffiths
One of Richard's Star Albums
Astonishingly brilliant: ballads, rock, polkas; wit, twisted humour, despair; reality, dreams and surrealism. Read more
Published on 16 May 2004 by Geoff Batchelor
You either like it or you loathe it. (Psycho Street)
I feel compelled to write a review in defence of Psycho Street, in my opinion an unusual but necessary addition to Rumour & Sigh. Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2003 by "fairyeyes"
Shame about "Psycho Street"
This is a great record, which was justifiably critically acclaimed at the time of it's release. It features 6 or 7 truly great songs that I rate as highly now as I did when I first... Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2003 by G. J. Weaver
Folk-rock masterpiece
Another display of RT's expertise as songwriter, guitarist and singer. Energetic rockers like You Dream Too Much and Feel So Good alternate with the restrained anguish of ballads... Read more
Published on 19 Oct 2002 by Pieter
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
